Sammie Hill expected to test free agency

The Detroit Lions have already re-signed two players (Corey Hilliard and DeAndre Levy) who were set to become free agents, ensuring that they won't hit the open market. I'm sure there are others they'd like to get under contract before free agency begins next week, but the reality of the situation is that most or all of them will become free agents.

One of the players who is almost surely going to hit free agency is defensive tackle Sammie Hill. The Detroit Free Press' Dave Birkett caught up with Hill's agent, who said it's "pretty much a certainty" that Hill will test free agency.

This doesn't come as a huge surprise given that Hill may be looking for an opportunity for more playing time and more money. The Lions are set when it comes to their starters at defensive tackle with Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, which is why Hill has only been a rotational player the last few years. Hill has the ability to start, but he rarely gets a chance to do that in Detroit.

If the Lions aren't able to re-sign Hill, they will have to look elsewhere for extra depth at defensive tackle. Hill's numbers from last season weren't flashy by any means, but he was an important member of the rotation at defensive tackle. If he departs for another team, there will be a hole in the Lions' depth chart that will need to be filled either in free agency or the draft.